Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Livingston Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Livingston

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,322 in Lisbon versus $1,995 in Livingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Lisbon versus $3,119 in Livingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,496 in Lisbon versus $4,243 in Livingston.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 16% more expensive than in Livingston, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Livingston 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.63

$20.29 £14.87

-15.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.8

$102 £74.5

-36.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.02

$10.51 £7.71

11.42%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.69

$5.06 £3.71

-37.94%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.14

$2.75 £2.02

-8.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$2.42 £1.77

-31.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.01

$6.79 £4.98

-48.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.88

$6.69 £4.90

-49.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.46 £1.07

-20.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.73

$1.87 £1.37

8.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$2.29 £1.68

-31.00%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$3.54 £2.60

14.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 €10.96

$9.61 £7.04

33.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 €6.86

$9.35 £6.86

-14.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 €14.57

$14.69 £10.77

15.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$2.99 £2.19

-20.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.71 £1.25

7.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.82 £2.07

-29.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$3.56 £2.61

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.64 £1.20

15.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.45 £1.06

35.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.22 £0.90

17.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$1.54 £1.13

-40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.84

$22.73 £16.66

-70.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €4.90

$10.89 £7.98

-47.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.96 £2.17

-55.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$3.17 £2.32

-32.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.94 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 €3.63

$5.53 £4.05

-23.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.58 £1.16

-29.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 €15.39

$28.52 £20.90

-36.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.88

$2.04 £1.49

7.84%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.2K €30.1K

$39.3K £28.8K

-10.41%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$40.0K €34.2K

$42.1K £30.8K

-4.79%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$171 €146

$379 £278

-54.89%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.61 €16.78

$17.63 £12.92

11.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.19 €28.39

$42.08 £30.84

-21.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.02

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.88 €17.01

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €8.66

$12.09 £8.86

-16.29%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$700 €599

$1,259 £923

-44.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €14.8K

$18.2K £13.3K

-4.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €93.4

$93.9 £68.8

16.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.84 €40.92

$49.68 £36.42

-3.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$111 £81.4

-4.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$99.5 £72.9

26.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,461

$861 £631

98.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 €1,082

$769 £564

64.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,973 €2,543

$1,909 £1,400

55.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,711

$1,535 £1,125

30.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,013 €6,855

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 €3,871

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,663 €1,422

$4,031 £2,955

-58.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

5.15

-27.57%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Last update for Livingston: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Lisbon and $861 in Livingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Livingston pays 142% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $102 in Livingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $305 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Livingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Livingston differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,322 vs $1,995 including rent). Livingston is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 142% lower in Livingston. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,708 in Lisbon versus $861 in Livingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,322 per month in Lisbon versus $1,995 in Livingston – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,995 in Livingston versus $2,322 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Livingston but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Livingston the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Livingston are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Livingston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.